NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

After four turnovers on consecutive possessions doomed Seattle last Sunday in San Francisco, the Seahawks welcome the National Football League's fourth-best team in terms of turnover differential to Qwest Field for a Week Fifteen contest of division leaders.

"It's a really great challenge for us," said Seattle head coach Pete Carroll during his Wednesday press conference from the team's Renton, Wash. training facilities of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons, "because they do so many things right."

"It forces us to play really, really solid football. We will not be able to make mistakes and stay with these guys – they're just too good at it."

Of Atlanta's 335 points scored this season, 84 have come from the team's 24 forced turnovers.

Leading the Falcons' attack is the four-headed monster of Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner.

In his third year in the NFL, Ryan is on pace to have his best season yet. His current completion percentage and quarterback rating (63.2 and 90.7, respectively) are the highest he's had as a pro, while his touchdown passing total of 22 ties hiss personal best he set as a rookie coming out of Boston College.

Helping Ryan develop is wide receiver Roddy White. The 6-foot, 212-pound White not only leads the league in targets, receptions and receiving yards this season, he's also become the first Falcon to post three consecutive seasons of at least 1,200 receiving yards – passing Andre Rison's two straight seasons in the franchise's history book.

Then there's tight end Tony Gonzalez, who after hauling in a four-yard touchdown reception in Atlanta's 31-10 road victory last Sunday in Carolina, jumped into a tie for 11th all-time in the NFL for touchdown receptions with 87.

"They really feature those two guys and they're the guys they go to and you can see on the film why," said Seattle's Carroll. "They just make the plays. They make the catches. They throw the ball in there with guys hanging all over them and Roddy can make his catches and of course Tony does too."

Despite the impressive totals, Carroll isn't too worried about giving up a big play.

"We have to challenge those guys in their routes because they're just going to ball control them," said the Seahawks' head coach. "They don't have big averages; they have just big numbers of receptions."

"So, that with Michael Turner is a tremendous makeup for an offense."

After an injury and an alleged weight issue slowed and eventually shelved the running back for five games last season, the third-year Falcon has rebounded.

Turner has 11 rushing touchdowns on the season with three coming from last Sunday's road win in Carolina. In that game, success came along the left side of the offensive line. All three of Turner's scores against the Panthers were results of rushes to that side behind starting left tackle Sam Baker.

Unlike its offensive counterpart, the rush defense has struggled lately for Atlanta (11-2). The Falcons have given up 100-yard rushing games to opposing running backs the past two games, a streak that broke the team's mark of nine consecutive contests without an opponent eclipsing the 100-yard mark on the ground.

That could be good news for Seattle (6-7), who should be able to find better success in the ground game with a more balanced offensive attack Sunday thanks to the possible return of receivers Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu. Williams, the team's leading receiver with 52 receptions for 654 yards, has missed essentially the last three weeks due to injuries – the latest, an ankle injury, costing him to miss all but a handful of snaps the last two games. Obomanu, whose 430 receiving yards rank second-most on the Seattle roster this year, suffered a cut on his right hand two weeks ago after making a catch against Carolina.

With the possibility of having the team's top-two receivers back on the field Sunday, running backs Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett could potentially face less defensive attention. Last Sunday when both receivers were out, Lynch and Forsett combined for just 34 yards on 13 carries.

Sunday's kickoff at Qwest Field for the matchup between Atlanta and Seattle is set for 4:05 p.m.

Can't get enough NFLGridironGab? Follow SeahawksGab Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

The Chargers played early to start week 15, but made quick work of the San Francisco 49ers Thursday night, taking it to them early and putting them away by half, winning 34-7.

Philip Rivers was perfect, going 19-for-25 for 273 yards with three touchdowns and a QB rating of 150.5. He directed an offense that put up 374 yards and 23 first downs.

Vincent Jackson, a sight for sore eyes for Charger fans, finally had an impact, as he had five grabs for 112 yards and three scores, including one that started the action early for 58 yards. He also had scoring catches of 11 and 21 yards as well.

San Diego’s defense was also dominant, allowing just 192 yards for the 49ers and 10 first downs. They got to 49ers QB Alex Smith for six sacks, and he was just 19-for-29 for 165 yards and a pick.

San Francisco had a shot early to get back in the game trailing 7-0, but after a Smith TD run was over turned, the team was stuffed on fourth down, an never had much on offense after that.

Their only score was a three-yard run for Brian Westbrook that came in garbage time with 4:26 left. The team also had a kick return for Ted Ginn Jr. called back to start the third quarter down 17-0, and they also lost DT Justin Smith when he pushed an official in the second quarter.

The Chargers also did a good job of keeping their foot on the throat of the Niners, keeping the ball for 37:11 to just 22:49. They outran the Niners 108-61.

Now at 8-6, the Chargers keep the heat on the Chiefs in the AFC West, as Kansas City still may be without starting QB Matt Cassel this weekend when they travel to play the Rams.

San Diego next will play at Cincinnati against the Bengals, as team that enters this weekend with just two wins.

Things I know.

Bill Belichick deserves coach of the year. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has taken a roster full of young inexperienced defensive players and turned them into a force to be reckoned with. He traded away Randy Moss and replaced him with Deon Branch, who hadn't done anything since leaving New England. Is there any doubt that the difference maker for New England is coaching? Sure Brady is good, dang good, but scheme matters and with so many offensive coordinators come and gone in New England, they keep scoring. I'm not BB fan, I think he's cheated in the past and wouldn't be surprised if he was cheating now, but he deserves recognition for an amazing feat this year.

The NFC South deserves more credit. The NFC South will almost certainly put two teams in the playoffs this year, possibly three. It shouldn't be a surprise to those that pay close attention to the South. When comparing the NFC South to other NFC divisions since being created, the NFC South leads all divisions. No other division has more representations in the NFC championship game, SuperBowls and SuperBowl winners. Look it up. The South has 6 NFCCG appearances (5 East), 3 SuperBowl appearances (2 East and West) and 2 SuperBowl Champions (1 East). It's time to accept that the NFC South is a tough division that produces winners.

The next few weeks are going to be great for the fans. Eagles-Giants and Jags-Colts are games that will decide divisions on Sunday. There are also inter-divisional games, such as the Saints-Ravens, Jets-Steelers and Packers-Patriots. Next week the Saints-Falcons, Giants-Packers and Jets-Bears games will highlight the week and finally in week 17 Bears-Packers, Rams-Seahawks and Bucs-Saints will all probably have big playoff implications. The tight races around the league have led to no single division winner set yet with three weeks to go. It's hard to believe that all but one division has a team within one game of the leader and only the Patriots have a two game lead on the Jets, which could still be overcome, but it's not likely.

Things I think I know.

The Jaguars deserve a city that shows up for them. The lackluster support the Jacksonville area show the Jaguars has been embarrassing. It's time for the fans to support their team or lose them. The Jags are a good balanced team that is winning in nearly every phase of the game. They are atop the AFC South and have some entertaining players in MJD and Garrard. At 8-5 they face the Indianapolis Colts and could seal the division with a win and actually had problems selling out their stadium at times this year.

I think some players are proving size doesn't always matter. At 5'9 ½", 170 lbs, wide receiver DeSean Jackson is small for an NFL football player. Not below average. Small. Average American person sized. But he is fast. Very fast. 4 catches for 210 yards fast. Many didn't think that Jackson could survive the pounding of the NFL. They apparently forgot that defenders have to catch Jackson first. Then there's running back Maurice Jones-Drew or MJD, nicknamed the pocket rocket at 5'7". Despite an impressive college career, MJD was passed over in the first round by all 32 teams because of his size (which is why he wears the number 32). Most running backs that weigh 200 lbs are not considered between the tackles running back. But when your legs are that size because your 5' 7", you have the power to do it.

I don't think Michael Vick will make it through the playoffs. Vick's style of play makes it hard for the refs to protect him like they do other QBs. IF Vick can make it through the next few games against the Giants, Vikings and Cowboys, he is going to have some tough defenses looking to beat him up. At just over 210 lbs, those linebackers and D-lineman try to lay the wood on Vick and when he becomes a runner, he has to learn how to slide. Maybe he'll figure it out, but if he doesn't, he probably won't make it through the tough games in Dec and Jan.

Things I know I don't know.

Six degrees from Dan Reeves? Instead of six degrees from Kevin Bacon, let's see if we can connect Houston's constant need to comeback to John Elway's foibles under Dan Reeves. The legend has it that John Elway blamed Dan Reeves game planning for his need to constantly come back to win games. According to the story, Reeves would design conservative plays and restrain Elway until he was forced to let him loose to try to win the game. How is that connected to the Houston Texans? The entire time that Elway and Reeves were together, Gary Kubiak, the Houston Texans head coach was Elway's backup. Maybe Kubiak learned game planning from Dan Reeves all those years. And after they get behind, he lets his offense run wild?

Is it finally over!?!? Ding. Dong. The king is dead. Favre's streak of games started is finally over. Will he go away now? Can we have relief from the hostage situation the NFL has been in for the last 2 years? Heck 3 years? (4?) Please, please Brett, go ride a tractor in Mississippi and send dirty texts to women who are not associated with the NFL. Please? It's not that Favre hasn't been a great player and done incredible things for 2 decades. It's just that the media has made his last few years a circus.

Are the injuries to Matt Cassel and Aaron Rodgers going to seriously affect the playoffs? Who would have thought that the Bears would have sole lead of the NFC North right now? Without Aaron Rodgers getting knocked out last week, the Packers probably win that game and have a much better chance against the Patriots this week. It's unlikely that Rodgers shrugs off his second concussion of the season to come right back. It's unadvisable at the least. If they lose this week, it's likely they will be in a unrecoverable position for making the playoffs. The KC Chiefs looked like a completely different team without Cassell last week. They still have a one game lead over the Chargers, who they lost too last week, but it's not looking good without Cassell. Suddenly the Chargers may be handed the AFC West again this year.

It’s already been a tough night for the Niners, as they trail the Chargers 17-0 at halftime. It’s also been a tough night for defensive tackle Justin Smith, who was tossed from the game for making contact with an official after a play.

Smith was tossed early in the second quarter after a brief argument between the DT and at least one Chargers player at the San Diego 8-yard line. Smith appeared to shove away umpire Garth DeFelice while the official attempted to keep Smith out of the dispute, and DeFelice immediately threw a flag.

San Francisco linebacker Travis LaBoy made the tackle on the play, but also left with a knee injury.

The ejection of Smith, who has started 153 straight games, occurred shortly after San Diego's defense stopped the 49ers on fourth down inside the 1, maintaining the Chargers' 7-0 lead.

San Francisco: OT Alex Boone, FS Chris Maragos, QB David Carr, OT Joe Staley, PK Joe Nedney, LB Thaddeus Gibson, CB Tramaine Brock, CB William James.
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San Diego: TE Antonio Gates, FS Darrell Stuckey, LB Larry English, OG Louis Vasquez, WR Malcom Floyd, WR Patrick Crayton, DL Travis Johnson, SS Tyrone Carter.

The Rams finally return to the Edward Jones Dome after 3 away games in a row and hope to find it full of Rams fans and not cross-state rival Chiefs fans.  This is not a must-win game for the Rams, but with Missouri bragging rights on the line, a win would put the Rams in pole position for the NFC West title.  Kansas City hasn't played as well of late including a drubbing at the hands of San Diego last week.

TV

Most of the Western United States will be getting the Rams v Chiefs on CBS.  Some areas and stations (Like LA… sorry LA Rams fans.) have switched to other games, so check the map to see what game you are getting.

What to Watch For

• Chiefs Running Game – The Rams must stop the Chiefs running game if they are going to win this game.  It is not any more obvious than that.  The Rams have been vulnerable to the running game this season.  Especially fast running backs that can get to the outside before the Rams linebackers can get in position to make the play.

• Matt Cassel – The Chiefs signal caller had emergency appendectomy surgery a week ago and missed the game against San Diego.  No word yet on his status for the game.  If Cassel does not play, that will be a huge advantage for the Rams defense because his replacement Brodie Croyle was 7 for 17 for 40 yards.  Either way, the Rams will have to pay a lot of attention to Chiefs star WR Dwyane Bowe.

• Big Plays – The Rams tried to limit the big plays by forcing everything in front of them against the Saints and it worked to an extent.  The Saints did not have any big plays, but they were able to get as many short and intermediate plays they wanted.  The Rams will not have the luxury of sitting back against a strong Chiefs running game.  They will have to stop the run first and dare whomever is at quarterback to beat them with long throws.

• Alexander, Gibson and Amendola – The Rams wide receivers are trending in opposite directions.  Amendola appears to be wearing down from all the hits and opposing teams know Bradford will go to him on 3rd down so they are double-covering him.  Gibson has stepped up his game and has become a great target for Bradford in the short and intermediate routes.  Danario Alexander was MIA against the Saints, but the Rams did not have the protection to try him on the long routes he usually thrives on.

• Chiefs Defense –  The Chiefs have a middle of the pack defense that the Rams should be able to find ways of exploiting through their typical offense.  The Rams will need to use misdirection, spread running plays and multiple wide receiver sets to spread of the Chiefs defense.  According to Football Outsiders, the Chiefs are strong against #1 wide receivers, but weak against 2-4 WRs and RBs.  Look for Sam Bradford to spread the ball around whenever possible.

A win in this game would be monstrous for the Rams divisional hopes, however a loss would not even come close to killing the Rams playoff hopes.  Still, this is a game that is set up for the Rams to win at home.

Listed are the TV network, TV/national radio announcers and SIRIUS/XM satellite radio channels. All times shown are local to game site:

San Francisco at San Diego (Thursday night) — NFL Network (5:00 PM PT): Bob Papa, Matt Millen, Alex Flanagan (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Kevin Kugler, Trent Green, Laura Okmin (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 125 (SF), 126 (SD). XM: 124 (WW1), 102 (SF), 103 (SD).

New Orleans at Baltimore — FOX (1:00 PM ET): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Chris Myers (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Tony Boselli. SIRIUS: 121 (NO), 152 (Bal.). XM: 107 (Bal.).

Arizona at Carolina — FOX (1:00 PM ET): Ron Pitts, John Lynch. SIRIUS: 113 (Arz.), 90 (Car.). XM: 110 (Car.).

Cleveland at Cincinnati — CBS (1:00 PM ET): Don Criqui, Steve Beuerlein. SIRIUS: 130 (Cle.), 91 (Cin.). XM: 108 (Cin.).

Washington at Dallas — FOX (12:00 PM CT): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 152 (Was.), 125 (Dal.). XM: 102 (Dal.).

Jacksonville at Indianapolis — CBS (1:00 PM ET): Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf. SIRIUS: 147 (Jax.), 122 (Ind.). XM: 106 (Ind.).

Buffalo at Miami — CBS (1:00 PM ET): Bill Macatee, Rich Gannon. SIRIUS: 144 (Buf.), 127 (Mia.). XM: 104 (Mia.).

Philadelphia at New York Giants — FOX (1:00 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 129 (Phi.), 123 (NYG.). XM: 105 (NYG.).

Kansas City at St. Louis — CBS (12:00 PM CT): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts. SIRIUS: 108 (KC), 126 (StL.). XM: 103 (StL.).

Detroit at Tampa Bay — FOX (1:00 PM ET): Dick Stockton, Charles Davis. SIRIUS: 155 (Det.), 158 (TB). XM: 112 (TB.).

Houston at Tennessee — CBS (12:00 PM CT): Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots. SIRIUS: 154 (Hou.). XM: 111 (Hou.).

Atlanta at Seattle — FOX (1:05 PM PT): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan. Westwood One Radio: Kevin Kugler, Mark Malone. SIRIUS: 125 (Atl.), 156 (Sea.). XM: 109 (Sea.).

Denver at Oakland — CBS (1:15 PM PT): Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker. SIRIUS: 126 (Den.), 127 (Oak.). XM: 104 (Oak.).

New York Jets at Pittsburgh — CBS (4:15 PM ET): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms. SIRIUS: 122 (NYJ), 123 (Pit.). XM: 105 (Pit.).

Green Bay at New England (Sunday night) — NBC (8:20 PM ET): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Andrea Kremer (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Dave Sims, James Lofton, Hub Arkush (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 127 (WW1), 125 (GB), 126 (NE). XM: 104 (WW1), 102 (GB), 103 (NE).

Chicago at Minnesota (Monday night; TCF Bank Stadium — Univ. of Minnesota) — ESPN (7:30 PM CT): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden. Westwood One Radio: Wayne Larrivee, Boomer Esiason, Mark Malone (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 125 (Chi.), 126 (Min.). XM: 124 (WW1), 102 (Chi.), 103 (Min.).

In an AFC West-NFC West matchup, the San Diego Chargers will host the Niners on Thursday Night Football. This is a pivotal game for both teams. The Chargers need to keep winning to gain ground on the division-leading Chiefs in the AFC West. When it comes to the Niners, if they lose this game, and either the Seattle Seahawks and/or the St. Louis Rams are victorious, the Niners will be two games out of first place in the NFC West, thus ultimately miss the playoffs.

The Chargers are no ordinary 7-6 team. They are 2^nd in total offense, and first in total defense. They are a "middle of the pack" team simply because their special teams play has hurt them. Needless to say, the Niners can ill-afford to start slow or make mistakes against this team. Phillip Rivers and Co. Will be ready to fire on all cylinders and put this game away. In recent years, the Chargers have started their season out slow and finished strong in the second half. The Niners don't want to fall victim to such.

Quarterback Alex Smith will again be under center this Thursday. While I initially hated the move to insert him back into the starting position, Mike Singletary's move has worked-in one game anyways. Maybe Alex does indeed give us a better chance to win down the road. Tonight's game will be telling as to whether he really deserved this chance.

If the Niners intend to win, they must be successful in the running game. The Chargers' pass defense is absolutely lethal, so, the running game will have to carry the load. That, by no means, means that the Niners should be one-dimensional. They will need to go on play-action every now and again and make some plays in the passing game. If Alex Smith stays in the pocket, it will be a long night for the Niners offense.

On defense, the Niners will have a lot of work to put in against one of the league's best offense. Rivers has proven to be among the league's top five quarterbacks and it will show. He is extremely confident and nothing could be put past him. The first order of business for the defense will be to stop the run. Now, the D cannot focus solely on stopping the run or Rivers will light it up with the passing game. San Francisco's secondary has been the defense's weakness and they need to have one of their best games of the year to be successful against the Chargers.

Why the Chargers will win:

1.       They are on a mission. The Chargers most probably will not make the playoffs as a wild card. To make the playoffs, they have to win the division. They are not looking back and will win their last regular-season home game of 2010. They know that this game should be a "gimme" for them and have no reason to lose.

Why the Niners will win:

1.       They want to prove that they are a good team. They have had an up-and-down season. They came slow out of the gates, starting out 0-5, and have been 5-3 since. However, they have not been consistent in the last 8 games. Should they win this game, it will be a big confidence booster for the team, and folks around the league will give them respect and acknowledge that they are indeed the best team in the NFC West.

Final Score Prediction: 49ers win 27-24. My head tells me the Chargers will win, but my heart tells me the Niners. I am going with my heart. While I do not believe in my prediction with conviction, I still think the Niners will get it done. The rushing game will put up huge numbers and the Alex Smith will do just enough to complement the rushing attack. This game will be much like the Chargers' game against the Raiders in Week 13.

Last Week: 12-4
Season: 126-79

Thursday:

San Francisco at San Diego – A game that both teams need badly, but the Niners have more injury woes with both Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes having to wear casts. The Chargers got their swagger back last week with a 31-0 win over the Chiefs. They are the better team, and will be able to score enough points to top the 49ers at home. San Diego 27 San Francisco 17

Sunday:

Kansas City at St.Louis - This game comes down to if the Chiefs will have Matt Cassel back, and if he will be anywhere near 100 percent. Last week they had less than 70 yards of offense, and need Cassel if they are going to win this one. The Rams got an eduction in New Orleans, but seem ready to learn from it and bounce back. Huge game for both, but here’s thinking that Cassel is still a week from coming back and the Rams take advantage of it with a huge home win. St.Louis 24 Kansas City 13

Arizona at Carolina – The Cardinals slammed the Broncos at home last week, while the Panthers continued to limp to the finish line. The Panthers only win was at home, but they are looking more and more like locks for the first pick of the draft. The Cards should be able to expose the defense of the Panthers enough for a road win. Arizona 27 Carolina 13

Philadelphia at New York Giants – Huge game in the NFC East, and there’s a couple factors here in play. Can the Eagles slow down the Giants run game of Jacobs and Bradshaw? Can New York make enough plays to top Vick? The Giants have the emotion of the crowd on their side, and they need to run the ball to keep Vick off the field. Big plays will be few and far between, and here’s thinking the Giants have one more than Philly. New York Giants 27 Philadelphia 24

Detroit at Tampa Bay – The Lions last week pulled off the upset of the week topping the Packers 7-3, this after they knocked out Aaron Rodgers. Shaun Hill could be back for the Lions, giving them a boost on offense. As for the Bucs, they pulled off some comeback magic in Washington, and then got lucky when they couldn’t kick the extra point. They won’t need it this week, as their defense should stop Hill or Stanton and puts up enough with Freeman and co. to win. Tampa Bay 23 Detroit 14

Cleveland at Cincinnati – Colt McCoy is hopeful to be back for the Browns, as with Jake Delhomme, this team is pretty bad. They are 5-8, and have played their best with McCoy. As far as the Bengals go, they started fast last week vs the Steelers, but then folded like a deck of cards. They seemed to have given up, and are playing out the stretch with it probably being the last few games for Marvin Lewis. If the Browns can’t win this one, it might be the same for Eric Mangini. Cleveland 20 Cincinnati 16

Buffalo at Miami – The Fins are 1-5 at home, and 6-1 on the road. Weird. The Bills have been a scrappy bunch as of late, winning vs Cleveland a week ago at home. They will give the Dolphins all they can handle and more here, but the Dolphins will finally get it right against Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the defense should be able to hold down the Bills enough to get a win. Miami 21 Buffalo 10

Washington at Dallas – Again the Cowboys held their own last week vs the Eagles, but were not able to stop the Philly run game late, and fell by three. This week it gets easier with a Redskins team that seems to be playing out the stretch as well, and won’t be able to match the intensity of a Cowboys team playing hard. Look for Dallas to rebound as the Redskins continue to slump. Dallas 27 Washington 17

Jacksonville at Indianapolis – The game that should decide the AFC South. The Jags remain a game up, but the Colts won’t let the division go so easy. Peyton Manning will look to get some revenge for an earlier loss, and will eat up the Jags secondary. The Jags need to have success running, which they should, but won’t have enough in the big play department to keep up with Manning. Indianapolis 27 Jacksonville 14

New Orleans at Baltimore – The Ravens got away with one on Monday night, almost blowing a huge lead to the Texans, then getting an OT gift from Matt Schaub in a 34-28 win. This week they try to go toe to toe with the SB champs, and it won’t be easy. The Saints are starting to look like a team that is getting better, with an offense that is clicking, and a defense that is starting to play takeaway again. The Saints will pick apart the Ravens, and win it using a passing game that will pick apart the Ravens. New Orleans 31 Baltimore 17

Tennessee at Houston – The “who cares” bowl of the AFC South, two teams that had high hopes now are playing for nothing but pride and the first step towards a shot to be .500. Both coaches could have new coaches next year, but for now, the Texans are playing just a bit better, this despite giving a game away after clawing back on Monday night. The Texans will win it. Houston 27 Tennessee 23

Atlanta at Seattle – An interesting game as the Seahawks are a team that plays much better at home than on the road, and that could be the case again this week against the Falcons. Atlanta is a balanced bunch, and they showed it again last week in a win over the Panthers. They seem to have lulls in the middle of games, and had better not do that this week against a Hawks team that still has eyes on the NFC West title. Atlanta knows they need to hold off the Saints in getting ready for a huge game next Monday night at home against them. Atlanta 34 Seattle 20

New York Jets at Pittsburgh – Don’t look now, but the Jets are in the middle of a swoon that may just cost them a postseason birth. This one vs the Steelers won’t be easy, as Pittsburgh will look to pressure Mark Sanchez into some picks, and from there they like to make them pay by making them into touchdowns. The Steelers offense won’t be able to do much, but their defense will force some mistakes, and they should score enough to send NY to their third straight defeat. Pittsburgh 14 New York Jets 9

Denver at Oakland – When is Tim Tebow going to get a shot? Kyle Orton has been terrible the past two weeks, and the Broncos are going nowhere fast. For the Raiders, they had a great shot to improve their chance of challenging in the AFC West with a win in Jacksonville, but their defense let them down. Oakland’s run game should dominate, and when they need it, they will hit a pass play or two that will put the Broncos away. Oakland 30 Denver 13

Green Bay at New England – Normally this would be a great game, but without Aaron Rodgers it’s like leading the Packers into a slaughter house. The Pats will pound Matt Flynn, and the Packers defense, which held the Lions to a touchdown last week, won’t be so lucky this time as Tom Brady and company will hit some plays to give the Pats a lead by halftime and they won’t look back. The Pats are playing their best ball of the year right now. New England 34 Green Bay 17

Monday Night:

Chicago at Minnesota - This is a complete toss up from the standpoint of you don’t know just yet where the game will be, you don’t know who will play QB for the Vikings, and who knows if they will even show up for this game after being beat down by the Giants 21-3 a week ago in Detroit. The Bears are an angry bunch after a total beat down by the Pats, and will come out and get some revenge by beating a team that is limping towards the finish. Chicago 19 Minnesota 13

Special to NFL Gridiron Gab by Bear Heiser

Aren't people getting tired of dogging Michael Vick yet? I just don't understand why football fans and dog lovers all over haven't forgiven him. It's rather mind boggling to me. If he wants a dog, let the guy have a dog! Why don't we all take a step back and acknowledge that we as human beings aren't perfect. The guy just wants some love from man's best friend.

Let me go back and address Vick's dog fighting ring for a moment. Please bare with me.

Michael Vick grew up in a world where dog fighting was acceptable. Dogs weren't companions to him, he was never woken up by way of dog licks. It wasn't the culture. The culture involved pitting two pit bulls against each other to the death. As bad as it sounds, he didn't really know any better. Some may think that's a cop-out, but I don't. Traits, desires, and beliefs are passed down from family, friends, and some that probably shouldn't be friends.

We're all going to make mistakes from time to time, the severity of some mistakes may be greater than others, but it's what we learn from our mistakes that defines our future.

My two doggies

If you want to know why my opinion matters, it's because I am the proud owner of two wonderful pit-bulls. They are two of the greatest things that've ever happened to me, and the thought of them fighting to the death makes me sick, but I've forgiven Michael Vick. I understand that dog fighting is a product of the culture he came from. He served close to two years in prison, and not some country club prison, a really bad prison. Since his release he's done everything humanly possible to speak out against dog fighting. He's donated millions of dollars to charity organizations that fight against animal cruelty. What else is he supposed to do? Do you really believe he would fight dogs again if he had one? I can guarantee you that there would be no way possible for him to fight dogs again with how closely he's watched on a day-to-day basis.

Dog fighting isn't like pedophilia. It's not a disorder that one battles throughout their life. His house isn't a dot on a map on some website you check to see if you have any child molesters living near you. It's not like he's going to find your house and fight your dogs while you're not home. Let's be real here people.

Are you really that surprised he wants a dog? Don't you think that you would see the little critters differently if you spent the better part of two years speaking on their behalf? He's surrounded by a culture that's against cruelty toward dogs and he's totally happy about it. Shouldn't that tell you something?

So let me ask you again, are you really that surprised he wants a dog?

Let me do you one better, why do you care if he has a dog! Four million dogs were euthanized just last year in animal shelters across the country according to the Humane Society. Why all of the sudden care if one guy has a dog? Why don't the people who think he shouldn't have a dog step up and rescue one of the four million from being murdered from a shelter?

I don't need an answer, I know why. It's because we're a fat and lazy nation who'd rather hold people back from personal growth because we're too scared of what might happen. It's funny how were're not scared to put our kids in his Eagles jersey, or to cheer for him like crazy when the game is on the line. It's a matter of convenience.

Michael Vick just wants a companion for himself and his children. Nothing more, nothing less. Learn to let go, people change, please start getting used to it.

Bear Heiser is a St. Louis Rams Featured Columnist. You can find him on Twitter @ramsreport and @bearconsults. He can also be found covering the Rams at www.NFL.com. His personal blog is www.bearconsults.com. You can find him covering, Lakers, entertainment and music for ALL CBS Radio websites in Los Angeles.